Basic Core Exercise: How to do “The Plank”

With all this talk about planking lately, I figured I might as well make a blog post on how to do it correctly 😉

The plank is maybe the best core exercise that I know of, it’s basic and effective all at the same time. It is one of the foundations to any functional training regimen. Every client I have encountered in my career, at one point or the other, has done a plank. When done correctly, the plank involves a coordinated engagement of the posterior hip muscles (eg: Gluteus Maximus) and inner unit core muscles (eg: Transverse Abdominis). These muscle associations are very common when walking or doing any types of natural movement, so its imperative to have these muscular connections properly instilled in the body.

With all this said, the Plank can also be an extremely damaging exercise, most commonly to the lower back. Without proper alignment, the lumbar vertebrae become overly taxed and a potential for injury can occur.

In this video, I show you how to get the most out of your plank. Enjoy 🙂